Promise me, Nuriko!
by TheWillowSeishi
Summary: This is a one-shot story about Nuriko and Tasuki: A prologue to Episode 33 (Nuriko's Eternal Farewell). What if Tasuki had a warning sign in the form of a dream that Nuriko is going to die, will he be able to do something to save Nuriko? In Tasuki's dream was a kiddie Tasuki and kiddie Nuriko making a sweet promise to each other. Nuriko was a girl in his dream. Enjoy!


Hello my fellow dreamers. This isn't the first fanfic I wrote but this is the first fanfic that I have decided to publish. This is a one-shot story about Nuriko and Tasuki as a prologue to Episode 33 (Nuriko's Eternal Farewell). What if Tasuki had a warning sign in the form of a dream that Nuriko is going to die, will he be able to do something? Can Tasuki do something to save Nuriko? Without further ado, here's the story.

It all began one freezing night in an inn somewhere near Mt. Koku in the capital city of Hokkan, Touran. As Tasuki drifted off to sleep, he saw himself floating in the air. "What the hell am I doing here above? Floating? Am I dead?" Tasuki kept protesting until he was distracted by a noisy brat screaming. He looked closely to the brat. He looks so familiar but he just can't picture who he was. His hair has the color of a burning fire, so smooth that it goes with the wind as the child runs. His eyes were fierce amber. And he was full of energy. He was running with all his might chasing another familiar silhouette. He saw this child's burning passion- he's never gonna stop running until he catches up with the silhouette he's chasing.

Surprisingly, this flame-head kid was able to catch up with all his guts out. "_That kid will get busted by that girl for sure. He looks so dirty and messed up.. sweating and gasping like that. Oh poor kid, c'mon! You won't make her say yes with that look_", Tasuki calculated as he shook his head. "_Let's see who's the lucky girl!_" He chanted.

He looked at the other familiar person and examined her carefully. Well, as to what he sees, it was a beautiful long-haired little girl. Her beauty was stunning. Tasuki swore he knows this girl either but he just couldn't tell. He looked at her further. Her hair was a deep purple in a long braid. Her eyes – something he's never seen before. They were bright magenta. And she has a notable mark below her left eye.

Then the flame-head boy started talking. Well, he was actually begging. "_Please don't go home yet. Please stay with me."_ The girl bent over him, brushed his hair, and as she started wiping his sweat she said, "_But it's too late now. We have to go home. My parents would be looking for me and your parents will look for you too."_

_"Whoa, this girl's too sweet and perfect for him."_ Tasuki commented.

She paused and smiled, stood up and knocked the flame kid's head. "_You Tasuki bratty, go home to your daddy now or I'll kick your butt off. You hear me?!_" Then she stick her tongue out with her two hands on her mouth. "_Nyaaah"_

KAaa- POOoowww "_What did I say a while ago?_" Tasuki told himself with a big sweat drop.

The girl turned her back towards flame-head but he surprisingly hugged her from the back. He hugged her really tight. And he started to spoke with tears in his eyes (in a brat way), "Last night, I had a nightmare. Some kind of black shadow took you away and I wasn't able to have you back. That's why..that's why I can't let you go now.

_"Crazy brat, no one's gonna get me. I'm a toughie you know."_

_"Even so, you have to stay with me, even just tonight."_

She broke from his hug and turned to him. "Just tonight. Hmm, let me think about it. You know, a girl like me should go home straight and…"

_"Please stay with me_" he interrupted. "_Stay with me, Nuriko!_" He bore that desperate look that you can never ever say no to.

_"Fine, I'll stay with you tonight."_

"_W-w-wait a minute, d-did I just hear him say nu-Nuriko? What the hell. That pretty chick is Nuriko? He's a SHE? A-and who's that flame-head brat…?_" Tasuki stuttered.

"_C'mon Tasuki, hurry up! I'm hungry._" Nuriko pulled the flame-head boy up.

"_N-Noooo Waayyyyy! What's up with this silly view? Me and Nuriko? Noo wayyyy! This has to be a nightmare!_" He pinched himself hard on the cheek but he just felt the terrible pain it created.

Later that day at the Kou household, the two friends decided to sleep in one room since Tasuki insisted that he has to protect his best friend from that black shadow creepy creature he saw in his dream.

_"Just make sure that you two are just best friends and you're not gonna do any miracle tonight!"_ says Tasuki as he continued to spy on them. Well, as much as he wants to leave, he's being brought to where the two kids go.

"_Hey Tasuki, look at the star over there! Isn't that Polaris?!_" Nuriko exclaimed in dazzlement pointing to the star with her right hand and pulling her friend's pajama collar on the other. "_Hey Tasuki, look!_" She looked at him and he was sleeping with that comic bubble on his nose.

"Are you _sure you're gonna protect me from that creepy black creature or I'm the one who's gonna protect you! You silly! Wake up_." Nuriko shook him exaggeratedly.

_"Nuriko, please don't leave me."_ Little Tasuki whispered.

Nuriko just smiled at his words and brought her friend to his bed. He covered him with his comfy but smells-like-Tasuki-already blanket. "_Sure Tasuki, I'll be just right here."_

When Nuriko was about to pull the Tasuki-smelling blanket up to cover her too, she heard someone calling her to go home now. There was some kind of brightness coming from the window. "_Korin, is that you? Are you there?"_

_"Hey, where's that light coming from_" Tasuki asked himself with great curiosity. And suddenly he figured out what it was. "_No Nuriko, don't go near that!_" He yelled as loud as he could but the little Nuriko just couldn't hear nor see his existence.

She walked a few more steps toward the light and reached for Korin's hand.

The little Tasuki was the one who heard the older Tasuki's voice and was awakened. He saw Nuriko fading in the light. He got up and reached for her other hand. _"No Nuriko, stay right here. You promised me remember?!"_

The little Nuriko heard him and replied, _"But Tasuki, I have to go now. Korin's calling me to go home."_

_"No Nuriko, don't leave me…Don't! Don't ever!_" he pulled as much as he could.

Nuriko let go of Korin's hand and comforted Tasuki. _"Don't worry Tasuki, we'll see each other again by tomorrow."_

_"No! No! You're not leaving me!"_ Little Tasuki cried in his bratty way again.

_"I know!_" Nuriko exclaimed in her usual cheerful way. "_Here. Take this. Keep it until we meet again tomorrow. That will be me watching over you for the rest of the dark hours tonight. "_

"_But it's a …_" tasuki flipped it over and over and recalled what that girly thing is called… "_it's just a stupid girly hair clip!? What do you want me to do with it? wear it! You idiot! Imma boy!_" Tasuki complained.

_"You silly, it's a very special hair ornament for me. My brother Rouku gave it to me on my birthday and it's made up of real sapphire stones! And I'm letting you keep it. Can't you understand?"_

"_That's how sure I am at keeping my promises! Listen, Tasuki bratty, even if I'm not beside you tonight, just look at that hair jewel and it's as if I'm right beside you. It will remind you of me. And that would be me watching over you. Understood?_" Nuriko continued.

"_Sleep now Tasuki_" Nuriko said while sending her friend off to sleep. Little by little, Tasuki's eyes closed till he was sound asleep.

"_No Nuriko, don't go. Don't go!_" The older Tasuki was still calling and he felt his tears rolling down his cheek.

Back to the real world, Tasuki got conscious and he immediately got up. He felt an object on one of his hands and he looked at it. It resembled the one that the little Nuriko gave the little Tasuki.

"_No… No way! This can't be!_" Tasuki panicked then he noticed a paper on the lovely traditional hair clamp. He flipped its folds and there was Nuriko's note that reads:

**Hey Tasuki,**

**I think I'm not gonna need this now coz I finally found my identity.**

**But this one's really precious to me.**

**My brother Rouku gave it to me on my birthday.**

**I remember you told me you have five sisters and the youngest one**

**named Aido was the closest, perhaps dearest to you. I thought you could give it**

**to her as present. I think she'll love it.**

**PS:**

**Uhm, I don't know but I feel like saying "I love you!"**

**HAHAHA I mean, I love you as my brother you moron!**

**Till then,**

**_Nuriko_**

Tasuki looked at the window and it was already morning. He hurried towards Nuriko's room in the inn where they stopped over before continuing for the search for the legendary shinzaho. He blast opened the door and saw that the bed was tidy. No one's in the room. He double-checked through the room's CR but he just couldn't locate his friend.

Chichiri passed by and saw Tasuki in deep panic that he has never seen before.

"_What's wrong no da?_" Chichiri asked.

"Wh-where's Nuriko?" Tasuki demanded.

"_Oh, he left early with Miaka and Tamahome. Like a quarter hour ago_."

"_No, No way! This can't be all true! No! Nuriko!_" Tasuki fell on his knees with all the hurtful weight in his heart.

- - - ~ END ~ - - -

So that was the story. I'm still thinking of publishing a chapter 2 but before i do that,

i have to know if someone's reading this.

Feel free to message me and let me know if you wanted a sequel!

**TheWillowSeishi**


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